Another thing that really helps is to practice drawing your quilting pattern out on paper until you are really comfortable with it. If you can get comfortable drawing it on paper, it will translate to your quilt sandwich because your brain will not have to be thinking so hard on where to go next.
I don't do a lot of FMQ, but I am trying to practice more. I saw a freehand filler that a really liked. I actually practiced it in my head while I was trying to get to sleep the other night. I even woke up thinking about it. I just tried it on my machine, and it worked beautifully because my brain had already figured out how to do it.
I've heard the good long-armers say that they doodle all the time. My sister isn't a quilter, but she tried out a long arm machine at a quilt show and she was a natural. I asked her how in the world she did that. She said she used to doodle all the time in college.
LeAnne